


The Beginning of an End

by tintern_abbey (lyricalballads)



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Friendship, Gen, Hogwarts First Year, Scorpius Malfoy & Albus Severus Potter Friendship
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-05
Updated: 2020-12-05
Packaged: 2021-03-09 19:41:10
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 9,832
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27901648
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lyricalballads/pseuds/tintern_abbey
Summary: Scorpius is the quietest, most unusual boy Albus has ever met, but the two first-years have more in common than they think. Can Albus become friends with the son of his father's enemy, or will family resemblance get in the way?
Comments: 1
Kudos: 3





	The Beginning of an End

**Author's Note:**

> This was originally posted on fanfiction.net from 02/05/2012 to 03/25/2012. (But it was actually written much earlier than that, sometime between late 2010 and early 2011.)

_The new boy resembled Draco as much as Albus resembled Harry. Draco caught sight of Harry, Ron, Hermione, and Ginny staring at him, nodded curtly, and turned away again._

_\- Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows_

* * *

Albus found his reflection in a window and frowned. There was nothing remarkable about his black hair or green eyes, yet everyone kept staring at him as he dragged his school trunk through the Hogwarts Express.

He hastily pulled away from his reflection and tried to catch up to his brother James, while boys and girls he had never seen before whispered behind their hands and pushed each other out of the way so they could get a better look at him. Albus didn't know what they were whispering exactly, but he caught the word "Potter" several times and wished he had boarded the train earlier like his mother had suggested, so he wouldn't be stuck searching for a place to sit.

He wondered how many compartments were on the train, because it felt like he had gone through a hundred of them already in search of a spot where he wouldn't get stared at. James had disappeared from sight, but of course James was a prat and wouldn't let Albus sit with him anyway, and Albus couldn't find any of his Weasley cousins in the wild sea of chattering boys and girls. His trunk grew heavier by the second and his owl was increasingly annoyed with all the jostling done to his cage, and it was a relief when Albus finally stumbled upon a compartment that wasn't packed with prospective students.

There was only one other person in the compartment, a boy who stared quietly out the window, and Albus quickly slid into the empty seat across from him.

"Everywhere else is full," he said apologetically.

"It's fine," said the boy, though his body language said otherwise. He didn't look at Albus at all and tensed up, as if dismayed to have his privacy intruded upon.

Albus recognized him from Platform 9 3/4. The boy had gray eyes and blonde hair so pale, it was almost like Aunt Fleur's. "Are you part veela?" Albus blurted out.

The boy finally tore his eyes from the window to look at Albus. "What's a veela?"

"Never mind." Embarrassed, Albus stared down at his lap and listened to a whistle blow in the distance. Moments later the train lurched forward, taking him away from Mum and Dad and Uncle Ron and Aunt Hermione, and suddenly Albus wished that James was sitting with him. James may be a prat sometimes, but at least he was a familiar face.

Albus dared another look at the boy sitting across from him and remembered something Uncle Ron had said before they all boarded the train. Something about the name Malfoy, that was it.

"You're a Malfoy, aren't you?" Albus asked.

The boy jumped slightly at the sound of Albus' voice, looking more uncomfortable than ever before. "I guess so," he mumbled. He avoided eye contact and resumed staring out the window, watching the tall buildings and narrow streets of Muggle London flit past. He was the only person on the train who wasn't interested in staring at Albus, though Albus couldn't tell if he was shy or simply unfriendly.

"My name's Albus, by the way," Albus spoke up a moment later, deciding to make another attempt.

"I'm Scorpius," the boy said quietly.

They were interrupted by a witch pushing a snack trolley, which instantly caused Albus' owl to start flapping about restlessly. After poking a couple of owl treats through the cage, Albus rummaged in his pockets for some of the Sickles and Knuts his father had given him and eagerly hopped off his seat. "So the trolley _is_ real! I thought my brother was just making it up. Hey Scorpius, you want anything?"

Scorpius shook his head and looked away.

Albus filled his pockets up with cauldron cakes, chocolate frogs, and pumpkin pasties, then sank back into his seat and listened to the trolley rattle down the corridor. He had heard plenty of stories about the Hogwarts Express from his parents and aunts and uncles, including the story about dementors coming aboard when Dad was in his third year, but Albus never expected to sit all alone near the back of the train with no one but his owl and the quietest boy he had ever met. He supposed it was better than listening to James brag about how he was going to make the Gryffindor Quidditch team that year, or watching Rose chase her unruly cat around the train, or getting stared at by complete strangers.

He briefly watched the landscape outside turn into hills and fields, then ripped open a chocolate frog. "Circe," he murmured out loud, glancing at the card that came with his frog. "I've already got three of her."

Scorpius glanced at the candy in Albus' lap, then quickly looked away.

"You sure you don't want anything?" Albus asked, grinning at Scorpius. "I'm not going to eat all this by myself."

Scorpius hesitated. "Well…"

"Here, have one!" Albus grabbed a chocolate frog and tossed it to Scorpius. "Let me know what card you get. Do you collect them?"

Scorpius didn't respond and put all his concentration into carefully unwrapping his chocolate frog, as if afraid of breaking it. His frog was finally freed from its wrapping but he didn't eat it and stared downwards, gray eyes fixed upon the card in his lap.

"Who'd you get?" Albus demanded, leaning forward so he could see. "Maybe we can trade!"

Scorpius wordlessly handed over his card and Albus found himself looking at a familiar wizard with black hair, glasses, and a lightning-shaped scar upon his forehead. "Oh, you've got my dad! You can keep it. I've got a million of him at home."

"Why are you being so friendly?" Scorpius asked, looking directly into Albus' eyes for the first time.

"I don't know. You seem kind of lonely."

"You're Harry Potter's son."

"I know," said Albus, confused. "What's that got to do with me being friendly?"

"Wasn't expecting you to act like this." Scorpius lowered his voice and dropped his eyes back down to his lap. "Since you're a Potter and I'm… I'm a Malfoy."

Albus remembered Uncle Ron telling Rose not to get too friendly with the Malfoys, but he had assumed that was just because Rose was a girl. "I don't care what you are," he said. "You haven't tried to hex me or toss me out the train window or anything, so that means you're all right. And you're loads nicer than my brother James, but I guess it's because you don't talk much. Why were you sitting in here by yourself?"

Scorpius blinked, trying to follow the thread of Albus' chatter. "I don't know," he said. "Some people looked at me funny and I didn't like it."

"Me too!" Albus cried. " _Everyone_ on the train stared at me."

"Of course they did. You look just like your famous dad."

"Oh. Right."

Scorpius must have felt that he was talking too much, because he fell silent and watched the scenery yet again. Albus ate some more of the sweets he bought off the cart and checked on his owl, who was considerably calmer than he was several minutes ago. The seconds ticked by, silent and awkward, and at last Scorpius pulled out one of his new schoolbooks and started to read.

Albus tried to remember everything he had ever heard about the Malfoys. He had heard Dad mention the name a few times, but he couldn't remember anything specific that was said, though he figured Uncle Ron didn't think too highly of the family. He knew the Malfoys were purebloods like Mum's side of the family and apparently had a lot of money, but they must not be acquainted with Albus' family because Scorpius was the first Malfoy he had ever met.

Soon all of his sweets were eaten, his owl slept soundly, and Albus grew fidgety. He wriggled in his seat, bored and restless through sitting still for so long, and tried to see the cover of Scorpius' book. "What are you reading?"

" _Hogwarts, A History_ ," Scorpius replied without looking up.

"I know plenty about Hogwarts," said Albus.

"Lucky for you, because I don't know a thing."

"Why not?"

Scorpius frowned down at his book. "Dad never talks about Hogwarts. I think he likes to forget he went to school at all."

"How come? Did he drop out or something? My dad dropped out but now he's head of the Auror office."

"I know," Scorpius mumbled.

Albus' face turned warm with embarrassment. He always forgot that his father was famous and that everyone in the wizarding world knew his name. To Albus, his father was an ordinary wizard, just simply Dad and nothing more, but he supposed he would have to get used to people taking one look at him and knowing who his family was. It was a disconcerting thought.

"Is there anything about the four Houses in that book?" he asked Scorpius, eager to change the subject.

"There's a bit in this chapter," Scorpius replied. "It mentioned the Sorting Hat and all."

"What House do you think you'll be in?" asked Albus.

"I suppose I'll be in Slytherin," Scorpius replied. He looked thoroughly unhappy at the prospect. "All my family was in Slytherin."

No wonder Albus' father never said much about the Malfoys then. "My brother said I might in Slytherin, but he's nothing but a git. I suppose it won't be so bad if we're _both_ in Slytherin though, would it?"

Scorpius didn't look reassured.

"Hey, you know what Dad told me before I got on the train?" asked Albus, dropping his voice as if telling a deep, dark secret.

"What?"

"He said that when he got sorted, he told the hat which House he wanted to be in. That's how he got into Gryffindor."

Scorpius looked up from his book, slightly wide-eyed. "You can do that?"

"Guess so. It's worth a try, isn't it?"

"I wonder if the Sorting Hat will let me into another House though," said Scorpius, looking glum again. "It might put me in Slytherin just because I'm a Malfoy. Everyone says I look just like Dad did when he was my age, but I'm not like him. I'm not like him at all."

Albus was so surprised at hearing so many words come out of Scorpius' mouth, it took him a moment to respond. "Well, tell the hat you want into Gryffindor, all right? I'll want someone in my year to talk to besides my cousin Rose. She's nice and all, but she's a _girl_ and she thinks she knows everything."

"I don't think the Gryffindors would like me," said Scorpius.

"I'll make them like you."

"You really don't have to."

"You're not that bad, you know. You just need to talk more and look at people more!"

"I'd rather read." Scorpius absorbed himself in his book and didn't look up again, signifying that the conversation was over.

Half an hour later Albus was ready to fall asleep, when the compartment door suddenly opened and a red-haired girl dressed in black Hogwarts robes appeared. "There you are, Al!" she exclaimed, looking frustrated. "I've been looking all over the train for you!"

"I've been here all along, Rose," said Albus.

"I knew you wouldn't be in your robes," said his cousin Rose, who had been dressed in her new Hogwarts robes since she arrived at the train station.

"What's that got to do with anything?"

"Mum told me to find you and make sure you get changed on time. The train will be at the station soon." Rose's eyes fell upon Scorpius, who was still reading like his life depended on it. "Why are you sitting with _him_?"

"This is Scorpius," Albus said brightly. "He doesn't know anything about Hogwarts."

"I know who he is," said Rose. "Dad doesn't approve of him."

"Your dad doesn't even know him. Scorpius is my _friend_."

Rose appeared wholly unimpressed with that statement. "Maybe James is right. Maybe you _will_ be in Slytherin."

"I won't!" Albus shouted at her, but Rose was gone, red hair whipping behind her as she strode out of the compartment. "That's just my cousin," Albus told Scorpius, who hadn't moved the entire time. "Don't listen to her."

"Maybe she's right," Scorpius said quietly. "Maybe you shouldn't talk to me."

"That's mental!" Albus protested. "Rose isn't my mum. She can't tell me who to talk to and who to avoid. Besides, I _like_ talking to you, even if you don't talk back a whole lot and like to read all the time. _And_ you haven't stared at me like everybody else."

"We should get changed," said Scorpius, switching the subject.

Albus didn't argue, and several minutes later the two of them were dressed in their clean black Hogwarts robes. Albus stared down at himself and wondered what color tie he would be wearing every day for the next seven years. Would it be a scarlet and gold tie, like the ones his parents kept stored in an old trunk, or would it be something else entirely? He supposed wearing a Ravenclaw tie would be rather nice, since one of Mum and Dad's closest friends was a Ravenclaw, though she was a bit odd most of the time, and Dad told him that one of the Triwizard Tournament champions was a Hufflepuff, so perhaps Hufflepuff wouldn't be so bad.

As for Slytherin, he knew that James would tease him forever if he got sorted into Slytherin and Rose probably wouldn't speak to him again. "I sure hope you're not in Slytherin," he told Scorpius honestly. "You're too quiet to be a Dark wizard."

Scorpius, whose book had been packed away, pressed his mouth into a thin line and said nothing.

::

It grew dark outside before long and Albus peered out the window, practically pressing his face against the glass to see properly. There were a lot of trees outside, looking like shadowy clumps under the night sky, and he could see a few lights in the distance that belonged to lamps or houses. Momentarily the Hogwarts Express slowed to a halt and a voice told everyone to leave their luggage on the train, since it would be taken to the castle separately.

"How do we get to the castle?" asked Scorpius. "I don't see it anywhere."

"First years go by boat," said Albus, eager to show off his knowledge of Hogwarts. "James said that somebody got eaten by the giant squid last year, but I bet that's rubbish. Hagrid will look after us."

Scorpius didn't ask who Hagrid was and stepped out into the corridor first, staring straight ahead without sparing a glance at Albus. Albus said goodbye to his owl and followed closely behind Scorpius, unwilling to get left behind, and tried to ignore the onslaught of staring and whispering from the other students on the train. It was a relief to follow Scorpius out into the night air, where he could hopefully blend in with the shadows outside, and he looked around to see if he could find anyone he recognized. He spotted his older cousins Fred and Louis in the distance, but they were too far away to approach and soon they were swallowed up in the crowd of boys and girls that spilled out of the train.

"FIRS' YEARS!" a voice boomed in the distance. "FIRS' YEARS, THIS WAY!"

"Come on!" Albus grabbed Scorpius by the arm and jogged towards the voice, pushing black-robed students out of the way. A man twice the size of a normal wizard stood up ahead with a lantern in his hand, impossible to miss due to his size, and Albus hurtled towards him until he crashed into his knees. "Hagrid!"

"I knew yeh'd show up, Al!" said Hagrid, patting Albus on the head with a massive hand. "How's yer mum an' dad?"

"They're fine," said Albus, straining his neck to look up into Hagrid's bushy face. "Lily's fine too, though she cried a bit when we went to the station because she still has to wait two more years. Oh, and Rose is around here somewhere, but I don't know where she got off to."

Albus had known Hagrid for as long as he could remember, which meant he would be on close terms with at least two of his professors, since Professor Longbottom was also a family friend. He glanced about rather nervously as Hagrid bellowed out to more first years, wondering if it would be possible for him to have a normal school year at Hogwarts. It was bad enough that people kept staring at him because he resembled his famous father, but what if he got accused of receiving special treatment because he was friendly with some of the professors?

He suddenly remembered Scorpius, who had been standing off to the side without uttering a word, and tugged him closer to Hagrid. "I almost forgot. This is Scorpius, Hagrid."

Hagrid bent down slightly so he could get a better look at Scorpius and his eyes widened in surprise. "Blimey. A Malfoy, by the looks o' him."

Scorpius, looking unhappy, silently nodded his head.

"Al, yeh ought ter be with yer cousin instead," Hagrid told Albus, his voice becoming stern. "Leave the Malfoys ter stick wi' their own kind."

"There's nothing wrong with Scorpius," Albus said defiantly, then dragged an uncomfortable looking Scorpius over to the cluster of little boats sitting upon the lake. He immediately climbed into an empty boat and beckoned to Scorpius, who hesitated and looked as if he would rather plunge directly into the lake instead. "Quick, get in, otherwise you won't have a place to sit."

Convinced by this argument, Scorpius sat beside Albus and watched as the little boats surrounding them steadily filled up with students, until the lake was nothing but a mass of black robes. The empty spots on their boat were taken by a couple of nervous looking girls who wouldn't stop sneaking glances at Albus, and soon Hagrid's booming voice ordered the boats forward.

"Next year we get taken to school by invisible winged horses," Albus whispered to Scorpius.

"What about the year after that?" Scorpius whispered back.

"The same. It will be that way every year after this."

"Why are the horses invisible?" Scorpius wanted to know.

Albus didn't have an answer for this, since Dad never bothered to tell him, so he invented a story about the Hogwarts staff casting enchantments upon the horses so that nobody could steal them, since they were incredibly rare and valuable. Scorpius seemed to believe him since he didn't breathe another word, and the two girls in their boat were too busy whispering about the giant squid to listen to him. Albus was about to nudge Scorpius and ask him if he had ever been so far from home before, but he was rendered speechless and his thoughts were knocked right out of his head.

Hogwarts came into view and it was like nothing he had ever seen before. Even though Mum and Dad answered the thousands of questions he asked about Hogwarts, hearing about the castle was nothing like actually _seeing_ the castle. Even Scorpius was impressed, his usually passive face transformed with awe as he gazed at the castle and its surrounding grounds.

When it was time to get out of the boats and follow Hagrid up to the castle, Albus spotted Rose's distinctive red hair and gave her a tap on the shoulder. Startled, Rose yelped and turned around. "Oh, it's only you, Al." The smile on her face faltered when she noticed Scorpius trailing behind Albus. "You've still got that boy with you. How do you expect to get sorted into Gryffindor?"

"Don't worry about me," said Albus. "What if _you_ don't get into Gryffindor?"

"Al, you know I—"

"THIS WAY, FOLLOW ME," Hagrid shouted into the crowd, and Albus and Rose were both silenced as they scurried after everyone else into the castle's entrance hall. Scorpius was so quiet, Albus could barely tell he was even there, and he had to keep glancing over his shoulder to make sure he was still following behind. He couldn't explain it, but he had an urge to keep an eye on Scorpius, perhaps because Scorpius' insecurities took Albus' mind off his own insecurities.

The next several minutes were a blur in Albus' mind. Somehow he managed to move forward in a single file line and tried not to gape at everything as they entered the Great Hall, which was packed with more young witches and wizards than he had ever seen in his life, including the time he visited Uncle George's superstore in Diagon Alley. James was seated at the Gryffindor table with his friends on either side of him and waved at Albus, hissing the word "Slytherin!"

 _Shut it!_ Albus mouthed at him.

The first year students stood near the staff table while a middle-aged witch brought out an incredibly old looking hat that sat upon a stool. All of Albus' worries, temporarily suppressed by his concerns over Scorpius, returned to him in full force and he started to feel sick. One by one the students were called forth to try on the hat until the name "Malfoy, Scorpius" was announced and whispers sprung up around the four house tables.

It was impossible to tell what Scorpius was thinking. His face was as blank and passive as ever, as if the sound of his own name had fallen upon deaf ears. "Remember, ask the hat to put you in Gryffindor!" Albus said in his ear, then gave him a pat on the shoulder and gently pushed him forward.

"Looks jus' like his dad," Albus heard Hagrid mutter to someone up at the staff table as Scorpius approached the stool. "A nasty piece o' work that boy was, I'm tellin' ya."

Scorpius paid no attention to the stares and whispers and placed the Sorting Hat upon his head. He sat there for what felt like an eternity, silent and motionless as the seconds ticked by, and Albus wondered what could have possibly caused the hat to take such a long time deciding. At long last the hat bellowed "GRYFFINDOR!" to the general surprise of everyone present, and Scorpius went to sit at the very end of the Gryffindor table without making eye contact with anyone.

"Merlin's beard!" said Hagrid. "That old hat musta cracked at last."

"Wish Draco Malfoy was here," said Professor Longbottom. "I'd love to see his face."

Albus tried to catch Scorpius' eye so he could offer some sort of encouragement, but Scorpius kept his eyes downward and looked determined to block out the sounds of a couple of girls whispering beside him. It suddenly struck Albus that the letter M was close to the letter P and his already pounding heart thumped harder than ever as more students were called up to try on the hat. At first it didn't register when the name "Potter, Albus" was called out and Rose had to repeat his name for him and tell him to go up front.

The staring and whispering that occurred when Scorpius got sorted was nothing compared to the attention Albus received. Every eye in the Great Hall was fixed upon him and it was so nerve-wracking, Albus could barely walk to the stool that the Sorting Hat was seated upon. Hagrid and Professor Longbottom both cheered him on from the staff table and it gave Albus just enough incentive to sit on the stool and place the hat upon his head with trembling hands.

 _Ah, yet another Potter boy_ , said a voice coming from the hat. _You're more like your father than that brother of yours is. Now, where shall I place you? You're bright, hardworking, brave,_ _ **and**_ _rather cunning._

 _I'm not that cunning at all, really,_ Albus thought desperately. _I'm just good at getting myself out of trouble._

 _Oh, but you're also rather ambitious,_ the Sorting Hat observed. _Such strong determination at such a young age._

_I'd rather not get sorted into Slytherin. Mum and Dad and most of my cousins are in Gryffindor! Besides, I can't let Scorpius be in Gryffindor without me. He'll never survive._

_I see, I see. Prioritizing friendship above all else. Well then, it looks like you ought to be in…_ "GRYFFINDOR!"

"THA'S MY BOY!" Hagrid roared from the staff table.

James remained silent, unable to come up with anything witty to say, and Rose appeared to be in a better mood when Albus glanced at her before hurrying to the Gryffindor table. He immediately plopped down next to Scorpius and felt an immense relief wash over him as the next student got called up to be sorted. Now James wouldn't be able to tease him about Slytherin and he would be able to help Scorpius fit in with his house.

"Al!" James hissed down the table. "Hey, Al! Why don't you come sit over here?"

"Why should I?" Albus hissed back.

"So you're not stuck sitting with Malfoy, obviously!"

"Just ignore him. He's nothing but a stupid git who doesn't know anything," Albus muttered to Scorpius. He refused to look at James and turned his attention to the rest of the sorting.

At last the name "Weasley, Rose" was called out and Rose stepped forward, head held high to disguise her nerves. The Sorting Hat was upon her head for a few brief moments when it yelled "GRYFFINDOR!" and Rose breathed a sigh of relief before going to sit on Albus' empty side.

"I knew you'd get in," Albus told her. "Uncle Ron would have a fit if you didn't."

"I'm sorry about earlier," said Rose. "I knew you'd be in Gryffindor too."

"Another Potter and Weasley in Gryffindor. Well done," said a voice just behind Albus. When Albus turned around, he discovered a transparent figure dressed in an old-fashioned ruff floating behind him and assumed that this was Nearly Headless Nick, the Gryffindor ghost. "It's almost like having Harry Potter at Hogwarts again," the ghost continued, gazing into Albus' face. "You look very much like him."

"That's what everyone tells me," said Albus, somewhat embarrassed.

"I was expecting Potter and Weasley, of course, but I never thought I would see a Malfoy in my house," said Nick, turning his gaze upon Scorpius. "You _are_ a Malfoy, aren't you?"

"It's only a surname," said Scorpius.

"Yes, well, I suppose every generation is different," said Nick. "Sirius Black was able to escape his unfortunate Slytherin heritage, after all."

"Who's Sirius Black?" asked Scorpius, but Nick was currently floating upward, towards the ceiling, until he vanished entirely.

"He was Dad's godfather," Albus replied. "He was the only Gryffindor in a family full of Slytherins as well. I would have told you about him earlier, but I forgot."

After a few announcements were given, the start-of-term feast began and a magnificent display of food appeared on every table. The sight of it reminded Albus that he was starving and he immediately helped himself to the nearest dish, which encouraged Rose and Scorpius to do the same. "Uncle Ron's favorite part of school," Albus remarked as he filled his plate. "When I asked him what the first day of term is like, the only thing he would talk about was the food."

"Dad has a one-track mind," said Rose. "Mum said to visit the house-elves at their cottage when I get the time, so you'll go with me, won't you, Al? Did you know that they used to live down in the kitchens twenty-four hours a day until Mum intervened? She says it was horrid."

Albus nodded, too busy chewing his roast chicken to give a proper reply. The appearance of food had apparently distracted everyone from staring at him and talking about him, which made Albus automatically agree with Uncle Ron on feasts being the best part of term starting. By the time he had finished eating, Albus was ready to curl up in his seat and go to sleep right there in the Great Hall, and it was a relief when Victoire, his eldest cousin, told the first years to follow her up to Gryffindor Tower.

Victoire warned them all about moving staircases and vanishing steps as she led the way, then gave a password to the portrait of a fat woman in a pink silk dress. The portrait swung open, revealing an entrance into Gryffindor, and Albus nearly tripped as he tiredly climbed through. Someone put a steadying hand upon his back and he was surprised when he realized it was Scorpius, but the moment Albus looked at him, Scorpius removed his hand and looked away.

"Thanks," Albus whispered.

Scorpius said nothing, but the corner of his mouth twitched a bit.

When Albus entered the boys' dormitory he discovered his luggage situated beside one of the four-poster beds and he immediately collapsed onto the mattress. Out of the corner of his eye he saw Scorpius sit upon the end of his own bed, quiet and polite as always, and soon afterwards the other first year boys came trooping into the dormitory.

"How did you manage to get into Gryffindor, Malfoy?" asked Ryan Finnigan, one of the boys who just entered.

"The same way that the rest of you did," Scorpius replied calmly.

"The Sorting Hat must be going mad," said Terrence Peakes, settling himself on the bed beside Ryan's.

"No, I don't think it is," said Scorpius.

"Don't be thick, Malfoy," said Terrence. "I know what your dad got up to when he went to school here. My uncle is on the school board of governors and he told me all about it."

Albus suddenly didn't feel tired anymore and sat up in bed. Scorpius' eyes had gone wider and his hands were balled into fists, but he didn't say anything and stared down at the floor like he had just been told that the headmaster had expelled him. It was the most emotion Albus had seen from Scorpius so far, but he didn't like it. "Can't you pathetic twats leave him alone?" he told the other boys, using an insult he learned from Uncle George. "He can't help who his family is, all right?"

"Easy for you to say," said a third boy. "Your dad is _Harry Potter_."

"Yeah, well, he wouldn't like it if he could hear the way you're talking to Scorpius," said Albus. "It's not how a _true Gryffindor_ would act."

"Albus, stop," Scorpius whispered.

"Doesn't matter. I'm going to bed." And Ryan flopped onto his back and pulled the hangings around his bed to prove his point.

Soon the other boys followed suit until it was just Albus and Scorpius sitting up on their respective beds, staring in silence. Scorpius caught Albus' eyes for just a moment, then turned away and settled beneath his blankets, and Albus did the same.

He was going to have loads to tell Mum and Dad when he wrote to them tomorrow.

::

Breakfast in the Great Hall wasn't as elaborate as last night's feast, but Albus was still impressed with the quantity and variety of food that appeared on the table. He refused to go near James and fortunately his brother was too busy chatting with his friends to pay him any mind, while Rose had found a couple of first year girls to sit with. This left Albus alone with Scorpius, an arrangement that he was quite used to by now, and the two of them looked over their course schedules.

"Transfiguration first thing this morning, followed by Potions with Slytherin," said Albus. "I haven't even opened any of my textbooks yet."

"I already read the opening chapters at home," said Scorpius.

"Seriously?" said Albus. "The opening chapter of every book?"

Scorpius looked at him like it wasn't a big deal. "Yeah."

"You're completely mad, Scorpius."

"I'm stuck in a huge manor house with no one to talk to," Scorpius said, looking down at his breakfast. "Mum and Dad don't have much time for me and I never got a chance to make friends, since no one wants anything to do with our family. There wasn't much else to do but read my textbooks over the summer."

Once again, Albus was surprised to hear Scorpius confess so much about himself and he was suddenly aware of how _hard_ it must be for Scorpius. Albus had grown up with siblings, numerous cousins, and more family friends than he could count, and it was impossible to imagine what it must be like to grow up practically alone.

"I'm sorry," Albus said lamely, unable to think up anything better to say.

"I'm used to it," said Scorpius.

Their breakfast was interrupted by a swarm of owls that came swooping over to their end of the table. Two letters landed upon the tabletop, one for Albus and one for Scorpius, and then the owls flew off towards the windows of the Great Hall. Albus ripped open his letter immediately and recognized Dad's slightly messy handwriting on the first half of the letter, Mum's neater writing on the second half, and a few misspelled lines scribbled by Lily at the very end. Guiltily Albus realized that he forgot to send a letter when he arrived at Hogwarts last night, but Dad said that Rose sent an owl for him and told everyone he had gotten into Gryffindor.

Thank Merlin that Rose was so responsible.

Scorpius took his time over his letter, opening it with the same care and precision he had shown when he opened his chocolate frog on the train. "Dad said he would write often," said Scorpius, looking slightly happier. He took a moment to read the letter, which was fairly short, and his face soon resumed its usual passive expression. "Oh."

"What is it?" asked Albus. "Something wrong?"

"No, it's just… Dad knows I got sorted into Gryffindor, but I never said anything about it yet. He says that people he works with at the Ministry mentioned it."

"Well, that doesn't sound so bad," said Albus. "But how would anyone at the Ministry know what House you're in?"

"Dad doesn't say, but I can figure it out," said Scorpius, looking glum. "Students here must have written to their parents and told them, and then their parents who work at the Ministry told my dad so they could annoy him."

"Did it work?" asked Albus. "Is he annoyed?"

Scorpius scanned through the letter again. "I don't know. He only says it's a surprise that I'm in Gryffindor, but he doesn't say anything else about it."

"Well maybe he isn't angry."

"He _did_ tell me something before I got on the Hogwarts Express," Scorpius said thoughtfully. "He said he doesn't want me to be anything like him because he did things in school that he regrets, but he wouldn't tell me what he did. He never talks about his school days, even when I ask."

"If he doesn't want you to be like him, then maybe he doesn't mind that you're in Gryffindor."

"Maybe," Scorpius echoed.

"You know, you're talking more," said Albus. "Now all you need to do is smile."

Scorpius didn't take the hint and resumed eating.

After breakfast they wandered around the castle for at least ten minutes in search of the Transfiguration classroom and miraculously found it without being late. Rose was already seated at the front with her schoolbook, quill, and parchment laid out in front of her, and Albus quickly took a seat beside her. Scorpius hesitated, then sat on Albus' other side.

"Did you bewitch Malfoy to get him to follow you everywhere?" Rose whispered to Albus.

"You'll never get it, will you?" Albus whispered back. "He follows me because he's my friend."

Rose didn't look convinced and Albus decided to ignore her for the rest of the hour. The majority of the lesson consisted of writing down introductory notes and answering questions for House points, most of which were answered by Rose, and Albus wondered if it was possible to bewitch the clock so that time would run faster. He expected Scorpius to volunteer answers to the Professor's questions, since he read all of the chapter material, but Scorpius remained silent and listened attentively to everyone else.

Albus decided that Transfiguration probably wouldn't be his strong subject. When class was over he blinked tiredly and followed everyone out of the room and into the dungeons, where Potions class was taught. It was rather chilly down in the dungeons and Albus found himself in between Rose and Scorpius once again, while the rest of the Gryffindor first years and the unfamiliar Slytherins found places throughout the room.

"Malfoy!" hissed a voice behind Albus. "Hey, Malfoy!"

Scorpius turned around to face a pair of Slytherin boys. "Yes?"

"Is your dad planning to disown you?" asked one of the Slytherins.

"Perhaps he'll sue the school and demand that the Sorting Hat be thrown out," said the other.

Scorpius didn't respond and turned back around to face the front of the room. Albus, stricken with anger, whipped around to tell the two boys where they could stick their wands, but Scorpius was quick and put a hand on his shoulder before he could say more than two words. "Just forget about it, Albus."

"But people have to stop treating you like that!" said Albus.

"Shh!" Rose shushed. "The professor is here."

Professor Slughorn was an elderly man who walked with a cane and had the most elaborate mustache Albus had ever seen. He stopped and greeted several students, asking them how their parents or uncles or grandparents were doing, then situated himself at the front of the class and took a moment to survey the crowd. His eyes landed upon Albus and his face immediately lit up.

"Ah yes, Mr. Potter," said Slughorn, and all eyes in the room were drawn to Albus like moths to a flame. "Your father was one of the most brilliant Potions students I've ever had the pleasure of teaching, just like his mother before him."

"Uh, yes sir," said Albus, somewhat confused. According to everything he had heard about his parents' school days, Dad was anything but brilliant at Potions.

"And Miss Weasley," said Slughorn, beaming at Rose. "Your mother was a regular guest at all of my little parties. Brilliant witch, just absolutely brilliant."

"What about Malfoy here?" said one of the Slytherin boys sitting behind Albus. "I'm sure you taught his dear old parents as well."

Slughorn's eyes fell upon Scorpius, acknowledging him for the first time, and he cleared his throat uncomfortably. "Ah, yes. Malfoy. Your father was a very, uh, clever boy. Perhaps a tad too clever. Now then, open your books to page twelve and we'll start our first lesson, shall we?"

Albus glanced at Scorpius to see his reaction and saw that Scorpius had balled his hands into fists again, the only sign that he was experiencing emotion at all. Albus thought he would feel awkward being the son of Harry Potter, but he supposed it was a million times worse to be the son of Draco Malfoy. Clearly there were two different types of fame and he and Scorpius were victims of both.

Throughout the lesson Albus discovered that he had none of the "brilliance" that Slughorn spoke so admiringly of and added Potions to the list of subjects he would likely have trouble with. At the end of class he was more than willing to leave the chilly dungeons and escape from Slughorn, who was determined to have him and Rose in something called the "Slug Club," and he was one of the first students out of the classroom.

"We get a short break, and then Herbology," said Rose, consulting her schedule as she walked with Albus out into the corridor. "I'm going to go send Mum and Dad an owl. What about you, Al?"

Albus looked at Scorpius, who trailed behind like a pale, blonde shadow. "I don't know. What are you going to do before Herbology, Scorpius?"

"There's a library here, isn't there?" asked Scorpius.

"Yeah, but what would you want to go there for?" said Albus. "We've only just started lessons."

"It doesn't have to do with lessons." Scorpius cast a shifty glance at Rose, who still hadn't spoken a single word to him since school began. "You can come with me, Albus. I'll tell you in private."

"Looks like this is goodbye then," Rose told Albus. "I'll see you in Herbology, Al."

Fortunately they ran into Albus' third-year cousin Louis after parting ways with Rose, and Louis pointed them in the direction of the library. The library was eerily quiet and Albus didn't dare breathe a word until he and Scorpius were out of hearing range of the stern looking librarian. "Why are we here?" Albus asked quietly.

"I want to know what Dad did when he was at school," Scorpius replied. "Everyone keeps taunting me and they obviously know a lot more than I do, so I've got to find everything out."

"Didn't you have any books at home that would mention something?"

Scorpius shook his head. "None. I checked already. And Mum wouldn't talk about Hogwarts either when I asked her."

"Well that's bollocks," said Albus, using more borrowed profanity from Uncle George. "They shouldn't keep things from you! What types of books are we supposed to look for?"

Scorpius looked uncomfortable, exactly the way he had looked when Albus sat across from him on the Hogwarts Express. "I went to the bathroom before breakfast this morning and there was an older boy in there who said the Sorting Hat made a mistake with me. He called me a little Death Eater."

Albus knew what Death Eaters were, of course, since Dad put a good deal of them in prison. "Do… do you think we should look for books on Death Eaters then?" he asked cautiously.

Scorpius, who was biting his lower lip as if trying to ward off pain, nodded silently.

Privately Albus wondered if Scorpius was only trying to torture himself, but curiosity got the better of him and he helped search for any books that would be helpful. He finally got up the courage to ask the librarian for help and after shooting Albus an irritated look, she produced a thick, black book titled _Dark Wizards of the Last Twenty-Five Years_.

Scorpius looked at it like it was a dangerous snake waiting to bite him.

"Do you think this might be it?" asked Albus.

"I don't know," said Scorpius. He quickly turned his gaze away from the book. "We have Herbology in a few minutes, so we'd better get going."

Albus would dearly love to stay put and examine the book, but he couldn't possibly miss Professor Longbottom's class and grudgingly packed the book into his bag. "Um, thanks for letting me help you," he said awkwardly.

"Thanks for helping," said Scorpius. The look on his face was almost a smile.

::

They arrived late to Herbology, but Professor Longbottom was so happy to see Albus that he didn't take any points from Gryffindor. Albus almost wished that he would, just so he could fit in easier, and it didn't help that his classmates still insisted on staring at him. Herbology took place in a greenhouse filled with strange-looking plants and Albus tried not to sit too close to a particularly mean looking shrub that had fangs.

"Good to see you, Al," said Longbottom. "I just had your brother in here an hour ago. He nearly set the greenhouse on fire." He suddenly noticed Scorpius sitting beside Albus and his face turned a deep shade of pink. "Oh."

"This is my friend Scorpius," said Albus, ever-willing to come to Scorpius' aid.

"Your friend," Longbottom repeated, as if he had never heard of such a thing before. "Right. Well, listen up, because today's lesson will be a bit tricky if you don't pay proper attention." He turned away from Albus and directed his attention to the entire class. "You there, in the back. Stop chatting please."

A girl near the back of the greenhouse stopped talking to her friend mid-sentence, blushing with embarrassment.

Longbottom didn't speak to Albus again until halfway through class, when he came over to check up on his progress with the day's lesson. He had a strange look on his face when he watched Albus and Scorpius work together, even stranger than the look Slughorn had donned in the previous class.

"Are we doing something wrong?" Albus asked.

"No, not at all," Longbottom said quickly. "I was just marveling over how much you look like Harry, and how odd it is to see you next to your… friend. He greatly resembles his father as well."

"Did you know my dad?" Scorpius spoke up, gazing at Longbottom with anxious eyes.

Longbottom was silent for a long moment. "Yes," he said quietly. "But we weren't close." He refused to say any more and moved along to assist a couple of Hufflepuff boys.

"He's actually really nice," Albus told Scorpius apologetically. "I've known him my while life and he's great fun when he comes over for dinner, but I guess…" He trailed off, unable to find an excuse for Professor Longbottom's behavior.

"People look at me and they don't see me at all," said Scorpius. "They just see Dad."

Albus fell silent, aware that he and Scorpius had the same problem. Ever since he arrived at Hogwarts people had done nothing but look at Albus and tell him that he reminded them of his father, and Albus suddenly wished that he was a Metamorphmagus like Teddy so he could change his appearance.

After Herbology it was time for lunch and Scorpius barely ate a thing. "Do you think I could have a look at that book you checked out?" he asked Albus, who was still busily eating.

"I thought we were both going to look over it," said Albus.

Scorpius' gray eyes bore into Albus', quietly determined. "I'd rather read it alone."

"Here, take it then." Albus dug _Dark Wizards of the Last Twenty-Five Years_ out of his bag and handed it to Scorpius, then returned to his food as Scorpius slipped out of the Great Hall and headed up to Gryffindor Tower.

"Al!"

Albus looked up from his plate, slightly puzzled.

"Al, over here!"

It was James, waving Albus over to his side of the table. Albus scowled at him, but James was persistent and at last Albus took his plate and approached his brother. "What do you want?"

"Here, sit with us." James scooted over to leave a space between him and their cousin Freddie. "Why have you been avoiding me?"

Suspicious, Albus sat between James and Freddie. "Isn't it obvious? You've been a prat ever since Mum and Dad took us to the train station."

"Well, it doesn't matter," said James. "You're all right now that you've gotten rid of Malfoy."

"I didn't get rid of him. I'd rather spend time with Scorpius than with you any day."

"Don't be stupid, Al. You _can't_ be friends with Malfoy. It's against the laws of nature."

Once again, Albus felt like he had been left in the dark of something significant. "How come? What's wrong with Scorpius?"

"You're half Weasley, Al," said Freddie. "Weasleys and Malfoys are never friends, no matter what."

"Besides, Dad and Malfoy's father _hated_ each other when they were in school together," James added triumphantly. "Everyone here knows that they were the biggest enemies for years."

Albus didn't know what to say. He assumed that Dad and Mr. Malfoy weren't friends, but he had never considered the notion of enemies, or hatred. "Dad never mentioned anything about that," he tried to argue.

"Of course not," said James. "Do you really think Dad would want to talk about someone he hated? Malfoy's dad was a complete wanker and he worshipped the Dark Lord. He probably tortured Muggles as a hobby too."

"You're better off staying away from Malfoy, Al," said Freddie. "Who knows what kinds of ideas the little git might have picked up from his father."

Suddenly everything started to make sense. No wonder Professor Longbottom had found it to odd to see Albus and Scorpius together, and no wonder Professor Slughorn had been unwilling to speak about Mr. Malfoy. No wonder everyone thought it was such a mistake for Scorpius to be placed in Gryffindor.

"But… but Scorpius is different," Albus told James. "He isn't evil."

"Come on, Al. Don't you want to please Dad?"

As much as he wanted to reach out to Scorpius and be his friend, Albus wanted to gain his father's approval more than anything else. Would Dad hate him if he maintained his friendship with Scorpius Malfoy? It was too horrible to think about. "Guess you're right," he muttered to James.

James thumped him on the back. "I'm always right."

::

Albus didn't see Scorpius again until Charms class and he automatically sat next to Rose. He expected Scorpius to take the empty seat beside him like he had done for their previous three classes, but Scorpius merely cast him a nervous look and then sat near the back of the classroom. Rose didn't miss a thing. "You lost your shadow," she remarked to Albus.

Albus didn't know if he should be dismayed or relieved. "Yeah."

"Is he okay?"

"I don't know. Maybe he doesn't feel well."

It was easy to forget about Scorpius since he never spoke a single word during class, and Albus didn't get a chance to approach him because Scorpius disappeared as soon as class was over. The same thing happened with their next two classes and Albus headed to Gryffindor Tower feeling mildly frustrated.

"Password?" asked the portrait of the Fat Lady.

Albus couldn't remember the password that Victoire had used the night before and there was nobody in the corridor who could help him. Even more frustrated, he wandered the castle until he found the Owlery and pulled a quill and piece of parchment out of his bag so he could scribble a letter to his parents.

_Mum and Dad,_

_Hogwarts is great. Hagrid and Professor Longbottom are both well and Hagrid says he's going to show me a unicorn tomorrow! Also flying lessons are in a few days. James keeps bragging about the new broom you got him, so he'd better make the Quidditch team or he'll never shut up._

_There's a boy in my year that I want to be friends with, but I don't think I'm supposed to be friends with him. At least that's what everyone says. I don't know what to do._

_Also, why did you and Mr. Malfoy hate each other, Dad?_

— _Albus_

He folded up the letter and gave it to his owl, then made his way back to Gryffindor Tower. A couple of girls were in the process of climbing through the portrait hole, so Albus slipped in after them and searched for a familiar face in the common room. James was nowhere in sight, to his relief, and Rose was near the fireplace playing with her cat with a couple of other first years. Not wanting to intrude upon his cousin, Albus climbed up to the first year boys dormitory and intended to relax a bit before dinner, but all plans flew out of his head the moment he reached his destination.

Scorpius was alone in the room, sitting on his bed with his head bowed over one of his schoolbooks. He looked up as soon as Albus arrived and immediately looked back down, pretending not to see him.

"Scorpius," said Albus, stepping forward. "You okay?"

Scorpius turned a page of his book. "Yeah."

"Then why were you avoiding me?"

Scorpius hesitated for a long time, shut his eyes, and then opened them. "I'm afraid you're going to hate me."

"I don't hate you," said Albus.

"I knew all along that we couldn't be friends," said Scorpius, ignoring Albus. "Your dad defeated the Dark Lord and my dad…" He trailed off, unable to say anymore.

"Look, I talked to James earlier and he told me that our dads hated each other when they were in school," said Albus. "And I guess that means we shouldn't be friends, but I think that's stupid. I'm not some great hero like my dad was and you said yourself that you won't be anything like _your_ dad, so… so it shouldn't matter, right?"

Scorpius looked at Albus, his face blank and impossible to read, then pulled another book out from under his pillow. It was _Dark Wizards of the Last Twenty-Five Years_ and he flipped to a page near the middle. "There's a whole chapter dedicated to my family. Go on, read it."

Overcome with curiosity, Albus sank down onto the bed beside Scorpius and pulled the book onto his lap. There were mentions of Death Eaters, Lord Voldemort, and Harry Potter all over the pages, and he read through an account of Lucius Malfoy, Scorpius' grandfather, and his arrest after a fiasco at the Ministry of Magic. Next was an account of Draco Malfoy, Scorpius' father, and the deeds he had performed during his sixth year at Hogwarts. According to the book, Draco spent the entire year trying to kill the headmaster and ended up hurting Uncle Ron and someone named Katie Bell, then found a way to let Death Eaters into the school through the use of vanishing cabinets.

Albus shut the book and didn't look at Scorpius. According to history, he and Scorpius ought to be enemies, but it was hard to believe that such a quiet, insecure boy like Scorpius could be descended from people like Lucius and Draco Malfoy. And yet Dad must obviously hate the Malfoys, and surely he would be disappointed in Albus for even _speaking_ to Scorpius. It was all so confusing and Albus felt like he was being tugged in a hundred different directions.

"You see?" Scorpius spoke up. "My family is nothing but a bunch of villains. Grandfather got arrested, Dad betrayed Hogwarts, my great-aunt tortured Professor Longbottom's parents—that bit's in the book too—and everyone here has a grudge against me. I don't know why Dad let me come here in the first place."

Scorpius looked so unhappy that all the arguments taking place in Albus' head quickly ceased, and Albus pushed _Dark Wizards_ so that it fell off the bed and landed roughly upon the floor. "I don't hate you," he repeated. "I mean, I should, but I just _can't._ "

"Don't be stupid," Scorpius muttered.

"I'm not. Don't you think you should try to change things? Yeah, your family did loads of bad things and you can't stop people from thinking they're a bunch of villains, but you can show them that _you're_ not a villain. You're a _Gryffindor_ , Scorpius."

Scorpius looked down at the red and gold tie that stood out against his black robes. "Gryffindor," he echoed softly. "Yeah, you're right."

"So we're friends again?"

Scorpius nodded, looking somewhat embarrassed. "We're friends."

Albus tried not to imagine what Dad would say if he could see him now. Perhaps he would write Dad another letter and make him understand.

::

James wasn't happy to see Albus enter the Great Hall with Scorpius the next morning for breakfast. "I knew you should have been in Slytherin," he told Albus. "I thought you wanted to make Dad proud of you. You're siding with the enemy, Al."

"Shut it, James," said Albus. "You don't know anything about Scorpius. You've never even met him."

"What kind of name is _Scorpius_ anyway?"

"One that's more creative than yours," Scorpius spoke up.

James was unruffled. "I'd rather be in Hufflepuff than have a name like Scorpius."

A few minutes later the Hall filled with owls as the daily mail arrived and a letter landed onto Albus' plate of toast. Scorpius didn't receive a thing.

"Nothing from your dad this time?" Albus asked Scorpius.

"I never wrote back to him," said Scorpius, staring down at his breakfast. "I don't care if I don't talk to him for the rest of the year."

Albus didn't know what to say and ripped open his letter. Only Dad wrote to him this time and his letter was much shorter than the first one.

_Albus,_

_Glad to hear that Hogwarts is going well. I see you've met Scorius Malfoy, unless I'm mistaken, and I think that you alone should be the judge of whether you ought to be friends with him. I had a good deal of bad experiences with his father, but that was all more than twenty years ago and isn't worth worrying over now._

_You know that Teddy's father was a werewolf and that didn't stop me from regarding him as the best professor I've ever had. Everyone thought that my godfather was a murderer and yet I saw him as family. I won't deny that Scorpius doesn't have the most favorable background, but I'm not going to stop you from talking to him. Hopefully he'll turn out different from his father._

_Have a good term._

— _Dad_

Albus folded up the letter and kept it to himself. James was eyeing him curiously and Scorpius snuck subtle glances at him every couple of seconds, but neither of them said a word and Albus remained silent for the rest of the meal, weighing his options and trying to decide right from wrong. Dad and Mr. Malfoy were enemies who hated each other during school, yet Dad didn't think that Albus should shun Scorpius or refuse to talk to him. James and Rose and some of his professors would continue to think otherwise, of course, but surely Dad knew better than anyone.

Scorpius glanced at him for the fiftieth time and Albus caught his eye, then offered him a small smile. James made hissing noises from across the table, but Albus retaliated by splashing pumpkin juice onto his plate of eggs.

"You two are the most curious sight I've seen in many years, without a doubt," Nearly Headless Nick remarked as he floated into sight. "Your respective fathers were at each other's throats during their time at school and now it's like seeing a reconciliation between them. Most curious indeed."

"So this isn't a bad thing?" asked Albus, looking up at the ghost hopefully.

"Can anything truly be labeled as either good or bad?" said Nick. "I've witnessed hundreds of years worth of conflict and it would be a bit comforting to see someone repair the damage."

Albus fell into a thoughtful silence as Nick floated away. When he glanced at James, he was pleased to see that his brother had gone quiet at last.

Maybe this could work.


End file.
